Montessori owner-operator planning for Moorestown school

Lisa Ryan lryannews

Monday

Nov 19, 2018 at 5:00 AM

A 5.6-acre Chester Avenue property in Moorestown will become a Montessori school under the direction of Montessori Seeds of Education School owner-operator Matthew Simberg, who closed on the for-sale property Tuesday.

MOORESTOWN — A historic township property will start its second life as a Montessori school next year.

The Chester Avenue property originally owned by philanthropist Lydia B. Stokes and her husband, town doctor S. Emlen Stokes, was purchased Tuesday by Montessori Seeds of Education School owner-operator Matthew Simberg, who will expand his Merchantville, Camden County, school to Moorestown in 2019.

The property served as a base for Stokes, an advocate who fought for education, women's health and the arts from the 1950s until her passing in the 1980s, according to the Lydia B. Stokes Foundation.

Today, Stokes' 5.6-acre property at 631 Chester Ave. includes a 10,500-square-foot main house as well as a carriage house, and spacious front and backyards.

“This space is obviously a game changer for a number of reasons,” Simberg said in an email to parents. “The things I am most excited about for us and your children are the actual building, not having to break down the classrooms, an amazing outdoor space for play time, outdoor learning, a self-reflection space, a pool, a greenhouse, and a school we can call our home.”

Simberg hopes to open the new home in summer 2019 or for the 2019-2020 school year, bringing most if not all Seeds' Merchantville staff members to the new space, along with students from 18 months of age through middle school. The school is working with families to decide what will happen with the Merchantville classes.

The township has approved Simberg’s proposals for the site, but before he can open the driveway needs to be widened and a sprinkler system must be installed, among other projects. Simberg also is working with architects to figure out “how best to outfit the space for a school with minimal impact on the buildings.”

He said some township residents are concerned about the impact the school could have on traffic at the Bridgeboro Road and Chester Avenue intersection, as its driveway connects to both streets. Traffic studies have not projected problems, according to Simberg, who said he hopes the school integrates smoothly with and benefits the township community.

“We’re doing this for good reasons,” he said.

The Moorestown property, with a spacious yard, offers more room than the Merchantville property for hypothetical expansion — pending future planning and township approval — and outdoor learning, Simberg said. The Montessori teaching method values hands-on learning, fostering students’ wellness and development by discussing their feelings and needs.

Outdoor learning is not only an important part of Simberg's curriculum, but he also said using the home's ample green space with students seems like a fitting way to honor Stokes' memory as a lover of nature.

“She was a proponent not only of education, but of outdoor education,” Simberg said.

The Moorestown property provides other unique teaching opportunities, too — the pool and greenhouse would enrich students’ daily activities and offer opportunities to learn from visitors from the community, Simberg said.

“We definitely plan to grow and be collaborative with the community and utilize different clubs and organizations like the garden club ... And anyone else that’s willing to participate in creating in a symbiotic relationship,” Simberg said.

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